June 02, 2010

Summer diversions: The returns of 'Royal Pains' and 'Burn Notice'

Would it be insulting to say that "Royal Pains" (9 p.m. Central Thursday, USA; two and a half stars) works best as an accompaniment to pairing socks?

Laundry's one option, but I actually found myself opening mail during the show's season premiere, and didn't find my brain overly taxed by either task.

I don't think any of the above is necessarily a denigrating description of the show, a frothy slice of formula about a doctor treating the rich in the Hamptons. There are shows that occupy our full attention and shows that don't, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with light fare that allows us to save our brain cells for when "Mad Men" returns July 25.

To use another analogy, "Royal Pains," and "Burn Notice" (8 p.m. Central Thursday; three stars) are the equivalent of appetizers -- tasty in their own ways but not always solidly filling.

The difference between the two shows is that, at times, "Burn Notice" has had ambition. It's served up the television equivalent of a complete meal when it has layered deeply emotional story lines amid the chase scenes, dry voiceovers and caper action-comedy. It should also be noted that the three leads on "Burn Notice" have charisma to burn, while Campbell Scott, who plays an enigmatic aristocrat on "Pains," is the only must-see performer on that show.

Now in its fourth season, "Burn Notice" has hit its share of rough patches. The show's third season was muddled and indecisive, and the more convoluted the "who burned Michael Westen" story got, the more tedious it became. For long stretches, it was hard to tell (or care) who had done what to whom and why.

The ongoing story arc in "Burn Notice"may be on firmer footing this year, as Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) gets closer than he's ever been to the people who got him fired from his gig as an intelligence operative. In the season opener, Robert Wisdom ("The Wire") tempts Michael with an offer from the mysterious "Management," which needs his particular skills, and the ultimate outcome of Michael's decision is intriguing.

Still, regarding the show's title conceit, I can understand if viewers are starting to feel a little burned themselves. I am still wary of the ongoing story arc, which has delivered diminishing returns for some time. In that respect, "Burn Notice" has started to resemble "How I Met Your Mother," which for five seasons has occasionally tantalized viewers with the idea that Ted will meet the mother of his children, but the meeting never transpires (and frankly if the show had ignored the title premise for years at a time, that would have been fine with me). Both shows need to either ignore or introduce solid forward movement to those story lines, because they threaten to become irritating distractions.

(Sidebar: This excellent essay by Jaime Weinman hit on some other problems afflicting "HIMYM" this season. I'm still generally pro-"HIMYM," but I can't lie -- something about the show felt off this season, and Weinman gracefully articulated why that was so.)

In any case, the client-of-the-week stories on "Burn Notice" generally perk along nicely, helped by solid guest performances and by appearances from Michael's array of Miami pals (Barry the money launderer is one of the show's most enjoyable usual suspects). This week, Michael helps out a hapless lawyer (played by "Mad Men's" Rich Sommer), or rather he rescues the guy from the well-intentioned but ineffective assistance of Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar).

Though the spy lore we learn via voiceovers doesn't always have the same witty spark it used to, "Burn Notice" can often coast on the chemistry of its leads and its by-now-familiar mixture of the sunny Miami setting and Michael's dark espionage dealings.

"Royal Pains" doesn't have as interesting a formula and it shows few signs of wanting to be more than what it is: an inoffensive and occasionally diverting product of the efficient USA Network assembly line.

Since I last checked in on Dr. Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), the show seems to have worked out a few kinks. On the plus side: Boris, Scott's charismatic yet remote character, is deeply embedded in the show's ongoing story line (he's inherited a mysterious illness that has affected his family's dynasty), and Lawson's brother, Evan (Paulo Costanzo) is not nearly as annoying as he was when the show began.

The minuses: Hospital administrator Jill Casey (Jill Flint) remains less than compelling and hints of a past or future romance with Hank induce only boredom, and the show wastes Marcia Gay Harden in a one-note role as an imperious surgeon.

The prescription? More Boris, and (hopefully) some friskiness from Henry Winkler, who has a recurring role this season as Hank and Evan's ne'er-do-well dad.

While I can't disagree with your review of BN, my perspective is one from dvd-athoning my way to the current season, and....I frrrracking LOVE this show. Again, no disagreement with your critique, but going to Miami again with these goofballs is a real pleasure on my viewing schedule.

Plus...Michael Shanks was flipping wonderful in his recurring role. I didn't think of Daniel Jackson very much at all, and his exit from the show was one hell of an arc. So yeah, when BN gets it right...it REALLY gets it right.

It'd be nice to see Shanks get more visibility in future projects...Dr J was great in SG, but dude's got chops.
:-)

I gave up on Burn Notice when it became more arc-driven and when Gless became a major character - the last thing our hero needs is his mommy hanging around, kind of undercuts everything.

I don't see any mention in your part about Royal Pains as to the Indian female character (sorry, forget her name). The few episodes I watched, she was by far the most interesting character. I'm guessing they wrote her out of the show or at least minimized her formerly major role.

What is so bad about appetizers though? When I eat out, I usually prefer the mozzarella sticks or salads to the duck l'orange and other meats decorated or braised or whatever with sauces that I didn't even know existed! I have to spend enough time around highbrow people during the day--I certainly don't want to watch them when I get home. I argue that these shows do have intelligence, but they are designed to entertain and above all not to be dissected ad nauseum.

Sooo agreeing with MissDawes on this one...plus any show...*ANY SHOW* with Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell in it is a mega-winner in my lil' tv book just because. Now gimme some sugarbaby, and don' knock over my booomstick! :-D

I've become deeply addicted to "Burn Notice" and I agree that anything - anything - with Bruce Campbell deserves watching. My affection for all four main characters(because I adore Jeffrey's mom) has continued to grow throughout the seasons, a little to my own surprise in the case of Gabrielle Anwar.

I found "Royal Pains" pleasant, too. And although I didn't find Jill very compelling, everyone else was more than watchable.

Like many have said before, anything that puts Bruce Campbell on screen is okay with me. :)

Burn Notice and Royal Pains are shows that I look forward to in the summer but am not generally sad to see go when the fall tv season cranks up. Both are entertaining and don't require much brain power when all I want to do is relax. That way my mind will be fully recharged when Mad Men and Sons of Anarchy start back...

As for Royal Pains, the characters I found most interesting where actually peripheral characters - Tucker and Libby, the teenage couple who were 15 going on 50.

But I think HIMYM has totally ignored the original premise of the show this past season. Barely mentioned in episodes and worse no mention of the mother in even the season finale. Although I love Neil Patrick Harris the show focuses way too much on him and their aren't many surprises left with that character.

Thanks for the link to Jaime Weinman's piece, but I think there's another problem with HIMYM that Erin nailed -- Harris is an extremely talented actor and he can do "strangely endearing sociopathic sex addict" in his sleep. The thing is that all too often Harris does, and who could blame him? He's hardly being extended with great plotlines or snappy dialogue any more.

There's something similar going on with Big Bang Theory. Would anyone notice, or much care, if the rest of the cast just dropped dead and Jim Parsons did an in-character monologue? I'm beginning to suspect the writers don't. (If nothing else, it would be nice if Simon Helberg was allowed to go a whole episode without being creepy or cracking a downright offensive Jewish mother gag.)

While I think Burn's season 3 had the lamest bad guy who started out tough and spooky but ended up just flirting with Michael, it did have some of the better adventures to date.
I like many other fans are a bit wary of another character being introduced to the Miami Musketeers--frankly I'd like to see more of Michael's contacts making more cameos, like former spy-turned-security consultant Lucy Chen (who did make an appearance in the excellent Season 2 ep "False Flag" featuring Lucy Lawless) and get John Mahoney back in even more than just a recurring season finale.

Burn Notice and Royal Pains are guilty pleasures for me. I don't set the DVR for series recordings, but do end up watching most of the episodes. Both feature living in beach areas in warm weather, nice. And sometimes they surprise me with something delicious.

I was watching Scent of a Woman last weekend and was thrilled to see that our demolitions maven Fiona from BN was the lovely young thing that Pacino danced the Tango with in the movie.

There was a promo for RP that was totally obnoxious though. Sorry they wasted the money. Some doofus idea of an acid trip maybe?

Burn notice has been my second favorite show since I discovered it during a Burn Notice Marathon half-way into season 1 (and I only found out about it by reading the great reviews from the critics). I haven't missed an episode. In season 1 it started off dark, and complex with the "who burned Michael" mystery. As it has progressed, it has become much more procedural, and in season 3 substituted one bad guy (Michael Shanks) for another bad guy (British guy-OK, but not as great). I agree with a previous poster, I watch every episode, but I never needed to re-watch. I still love the voice-overs, and really like Bruce Campbell, but as the show has become more repetitive and superficial, it is losing its luster. I'm still in for this season, but let's hope they bring back more of the anticipation I had for the show.

Contrast this with my favorite show, another spy-show called Chuck. This one started fun and superficial in the beginning, but has grown more complex, while still maintaining its sense of fun. As good as it is, Chuck continues to improve creatively (despite what a vocal minority refers to as "pacing problems" 7 or 8 episodes into this season---I never bought that, and those of us that were just a little more patient were completely vindicated). I wanted to watch virtually all the shows this season more than once.

As for Royal Pains, I've watched 5 or 6 episodes. I'd rather devote full attention to my socks.

Been fun watching Michael opening up to his Mom. Nice moment when he told her about Simon's "curse" - that one day he will become like Simon - something that wouldn't obviously have bothered him so much if he didn't feel the seeds of it in his current life....

Indeed -- and at the end of season one, I was concerned that (not to put too fine a point on it) Sharon Gless was going to end up just being another shrew-hag of a certain age whose sole purpose in life is to emasculate her male children (serious question: do you have to have serious Mother issues to work in television, or does it just seem that way?) But I do have to agree with Mo's point -- who lit the fuse on Michael's burn notice, and why, isn't really that interesting. This is: How he's reluctantly formed this functionally dysfunctional family in the last place in the world he wants to be; that he'd actually walk into Hell after taking a gasoline shower to hold it all together, even though Fi and Sam and Madeline make him want to chew his own arm off as often as not...

dude royal pains is a great show i dont know what most of you are talking about
And Burn Notice is horrible i cant stand watching that show for more than a minute the acting is soooooo bad and corny, especially the main character.!!

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